Front for poultry-coops.



'1. E. WAYNE:

FRONT FOR POULTRY COOPS.

APPLICATlON FILED MAR.26. 1917 31 QQ QQQH Patented Nov 27, 1917.

JOSEPH E. WAYNE, OF HUNTINGBURG, INDIANA.

FRONT FOR POULTRY-QOOPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2'7, 191?.

Application filed March 26, 1917. Serial No. 157.497.

.Poultry-Coops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fronts for poultry coops.

At stations where poultry is received in large numbers and held for fattening, be fore being dressed for shipment, means must be providedfor economizing space, while at the same time handling the fowls efficiently and expeditiously. The ends of the coops are generally arranged in unitary structures termed batteries, which are mounted on rollers, so that they may be moved about readily, as from the feeding rooms to the dressing rooms. A battery comprises a plurality of coops, or compartments, arranged in tiers, usually four in a tier, the compartments in each tier, being arranged in pairs back to back. The fronts of the compartments are generally closed by gratings which have vertical bars so spaced that fowls may reach their heads through to obtain food from a receptacle, usually a trough hung on the structure. The vertical bars must be spaced according to the size of the fowls which are to be placed in the battery, as, if large fowls are placed in a coop having bars so spaced as to accommodate small fowls, they would not be able to get their heads through the space between the bars, and if small fowls are placed in coops the bars of which are spaced to accommodate large fowls, the small fowls could escape. The result is that if there should be a run of large or small fowls, there would be a number of unavailable batteries taking up space.

An object of this invention is to provide a front for poultry coops wherein the distance between the bars may be varied to accommodate any size fowls which may be placed within the coop, thus rendering the coop available regardless of size of the fowls being handled.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, wherein is set forth an embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that such changes and modifications may be resorted to as come within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein similar reference numerals designate like parts in the several views, Figure 1, is a front elevation of my improved front as applied to an apartment of a l. attery; Fig. 2, a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a plan of a portion of the bottom of a compartment of a battery; Fig. 5, a front of the fixed, or stationary grating; Fig. 6, a front elevation of the sliding gratmg.

Referring now to the drawing, the ref erence character 10- designates the vertical members, or posts of a battery of coops, between and to which my improved front is secured. The front comprises a fixed memher, or grating 12 and an adjustably sliding member grating 13. The grating 12 comprises upper and lower longitudinal stringers 14+ and -15- which have oppositely disposed right angled extensions 16 adapted to fit against the vertical posts to which they are secured by suitable means such as screws, or bolts 17. P0 sitioned between the stringers are vertical bars, or rods, suitably spaced to permit of the passage therebetween of the head of the largest fowl to be handled. Certain of the rods as 18- are rigidly secured to the stringers and maintain them in fixed spaced relationship others as 19 have a hinged 0r pivotal connection 20- near the upper ends thereof, the lower, or free ends fitting in perforations 2l in the lower stringer (see Fig. 2). The rods 19 are connected near their lower ends by a rod 22 secured thereto by suitable means, such as soldering. The width of the sliding member 13 is such that it will fit between the string ers 14, 15 of the fixed member, and it is shorter than the fixed member within which it slides a distance approximately the same as the space between the rods 18 of the fixed member. The sliding member comprises a rim 23- of suitable material, the width of which is such that it will fit between the edges of the stringers 14, 15 and the rods 18 being retained in position by suitable means such as angular clips -21 The sliding frame is provided with vertical bars, or rods spaced approximately the same as those in the frame, certain of which as -28 are rigidly secured at each end to the rim while others as 29 are provided with a hinged or pivotal connection 30 similar to those in the rods of the fixed member and are connected near their lower ends by a rod 32, the lower ends fitting in perforations -31. As illustrated the joints in the rods 19 and 29 comprise elongated loops, or eyes 33- secured to, and depending from the upper member of the frames and elongated hooks 3et on the upper ends of the rods adapted to be engaged in the eyes, the arrangement being such that the groups of'loose rods, which serve as a door, may firstbe raised, to disengage their free ends from the perforations 2.1 and 31, in the lower frame members, and then be swung outward, and upward to give access to the interior of the coop. The two sets, or groups of loose-rods are connected by suitable means such as rings 35- which encircle the connecting; rods 22 and 32, whereby they may be operated as a unit to gain access to the coop and yet permit free longitudinal movement of the sliding frame. It is to beobserved that by shifting the sliding frame, the'space between the vertical rods may be varied from a minimum (shown in Fig. l) to a maximum, as suits requirements. The sliding frame-may beheld in adjusted position by suitable means such as a pin '36 which may be extended through openings 37-. The coops may be provided with a bottom of square mesh material 38- held in position by means of a retaining strip 39. Transverse strips -l0 assist in supporting the reticulated bottom. Transverse stripsll? extended from theupper stringer serve to support a pan l2- to catch droppings from the coop above.

Having thus described my invention so that anyone skilled in the art pertainingv thereto, may make and use the same, I claim 1' 1. In a device of the: character described, a fixed frame, a frame movable longitudinally relative thereto, each of said frames having a plurality of spaced vertically stationary bars, and a pluralityof movable bars adapted to be swung transversely relative to the frames, and connections between the movable bars of the two frames whereby they may be swung as aunit transversely of the frame while permitting independent movement of said movable frame. 7 p y 1 y 7 2. In adevice of the character described; a fixedf frame, asecond frame sli'dably' associated therewith, saidframes each having groups of stationary spacedvertical; bars,

said frames eaclrhaving a groupof movable bars, a"connectionbetweenthe groups of movable bars whereby they may be 7 swung in unison transversely relative to the frames,

4c. In a device as characterizechfa station ary fra1ne,a frame associated witha'nd mov able relative thereto, each of said frames" having a pluralityofspaced stationary'bars and a plurality of movable bars, and means connecting the movable bars" of'the two frames, whereby the said bars maybe moved 1 as a unit in one directionwit'h-out'obstruct j mg movement of theniovable frame'in another dlrectlon.

JOSEPH WAYNE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by add re ssing the com nil'ssioner of Patent,

Washington, 13: 0. 

